The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-04-05
TUESDAY. APRIL 5, 1887
MORE LIGHT.

The Adoeytisey Of Saturday takes up
our leader of the previous day on the
political situation in a sort Of milk-and-
water style that may mean anything or
nothing, according to the fancy Of the
reader. If that paper is in favor Of
parliamentary reform in Hawaiian af-
fairs, it carefully avoids saying so. AT
the same time, it is plain that the Ad-
vsrtiSev is painfully conscious Of the
lncongruity Of the position it would be
in by assuming the role Of opposition
to the existing state Of affairs. Allow
ance must be made for circumstances.
The Ads0hsey fighting an unconstitu-
tional system Of representation would
be the placing of its own record on the
table for dissection, and no man cares
to dissect himself or any member Of
his own family. We fully agree with
our contemporary that "When dis
cussing national politics it is better to
keep within the lines of common
sense" but we are possibly unfortunate
in not being prepared to agree with
him on the course that is maniiestly
dictated by common sense. His plan
is to do nothing, feel the patients
pulse, note down the symptoms, shake
the head, pronounce 1t hopeless case
and any other practitioner a quack who
ventures the opinion that there is a
possibility of improving the condition
Of the patient. Our plan is to utilize
the experience Of the past and adopt
treatment similar in degree to that
which has, in hundreds Of other cases,
been successful.
We re-assert the fundamental prin-
ciple on which all our discussion is
based that free people are entitled to
be represented by independent men,
not employees Of the Government. II
our contemporary can place any theory
closer to the lines Of common sense,
we shall be pleased to adopt it, Until
he does so, however, the public will
persist in the opinion that "the King"
not the people, lis the largest part Of
the Legislative Assembly," as was
unctuously stated by the Premier in
the Legislature Of SO. This is pro
badly the only opinion held in common
by Minister Gibson and the taxpayers
of the nation. In Great Britain the
Queen Tor King, though an integral
part, is practically the least part OF the
Legislature, while the people, through
their representatives, are, to all intents
and purposes, the only ruling power.
No ofice-holder under Government
can hold seat in the House of Com
mons. A similar ast-iron rule obtains
in the United States. Why should not
precisely the same rule be incorporated
into the. Hawaiian political system
There is nothing in the labored article
of the Adg0Hsey to show why 1t should
not The most that paper succeeds in
proving is that there is no reason why
it should not The proposition made
by the HERALD, the Adts,7isey pro
nounces "elear-cut," but has not the
courage Of its convictions either to ac
cept or reject it. Our contemporary
merely straddles the fence and wants
to know before he gets down on either
side, " is it feasible"
Tbs contingency named by him that
in the event Of reform legislature
being elected, the members might pro-
coed to clothe themselves with the
responsibilities and enoluments OF
Office, is too absurd to require argu-
ment Why do not members of legis-
latures in other countries try it on if
there is nothing to prevent it1
That 1.-THE King Tor the chief ex-
ecutiye, Of whatever title-"is the
largest part Of the legislature " is net
the doctrine held by any free people on
the face Of the earth. 1t is not the
theory of government held by any Of